Let’s move to Ouseburn: if Newcastle upon Tyne had a Shoreditch, this would be it

‘The best thing about Ouseburn is its weirdness.’
Photograph: Getty Images

What’s going for it? Oh, yes, everyone’s talking about Ouseburn. What? Never heard of it? Darling, where have you been? If Newcastle had a Shoreditch, this would be it. Or rather, if London had an Ouseburn… Those not in the know might just drive over the Byker Bridge and barely glance at the mechanics’ sheds, warehouses, Victorian odds and sods, and is that a farm (it is) underneath them. This, I’ll have you know, is the pumping heart of the north-east’s creative economy, resuscitated from postindustrial dankness by the community-driven Ouseburn Trust, those odds and sods inhabited by clusters and hubs, co-working startups and digital-craft-hybrid-artisan-coffee-roasters, that sort of thing. Good for them. The best thing about Ouseburn, though, is its weirdness, that deep, dark crevasse of a valley hiding all sorts of mysteries; the way you might see horses wandering past those mechanics’ sheds en route for the stables, the slightly surreal “village green”, as if collaged from Ambridge. But the really best thing? Having a pint in the sun at the Free Trade, watching the boats on the Tyne drift by.

The case against It hasn’t all come together yet; the fragments need to be stitched to each other. Developers are all over it: let’s hope it doesn’t succumb.

Well connected? It’s a 20-minute walk to Newcastle city centre; the Tyne is on your doorstep. Buses ply the main roads. The excellent Metro has Manors and Byker stations nearby, whizzing you up town or to the seaside.

Hang out at… Spoilt for choice for dreamy pubs. The Free Trade, where the Ouseburn meets the Tyne; the Tyne Bar, with its craft beers; the vegan Ship Inn on the green.

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Where to buy It’s an odd assortment. In the valley itself you’ll find live/work spaces, Victorian warehouses, great new housing such as the Malings (with more planned), but there’s not much of it as yet. At its fringes, though, are neighbours such as Heaton’s streets of excellent Victorian terraces, the modern Tyneside apartment blocks and townhouses of Newcastle’s noughties revival (often staggeringly ugly) and the listed pioneering 70s Byker housing estate, now being renovated. Townhouses, £200,000-£300,000. Terraces and cottages, £60,000-£200,000. Flats, £50,000-£400,000. Rentals: a one-bedroom flat, £400-£650pcm; a three-bedroom house, £650-£900pcm.

Catherine Cameron “A hidden gem, full of creative workshops, galleries, pubs and cafes. A current favourite is Kiln – an industrial vibe cafe/bar with a working pottery attached. Mainly vegetarian menu, really friendly staff, child- and dog-friendly, music nights, themed supper clubs, occasional kids pottery drop-ins, and you can even buy the plates you’ve eaten off for a discount!”

• Do you live in Surrey Quays, south-east London? Do you have a favourite haunt or a pet hate? If so, email lets.move@theguardian.com by Tuesday 12 June.